Chaospatinnen on CCC Event Blog

First time at Congress? The Chaos Mentors have your back at 39C3!

Sun, 09 Nov 2025 06:00:00 +0000

Once again this year, the Chaos Mentors are joining the Chaos Communication Congress in Hamburg!

Interested mentors and mentees can register on our Chaos Mentors platform until 25 November 2025, 23:59 UTC+1.

We’re excited to meet lots of new people who want to experience the colorful, fascinating chaos for the first time, maybe that includes you!

If you’re looking for a bit of support or a small group to connect with during your first Congress, you’ve come to the right place.

Who are the Chaos Mentors for?

Are you curious about Congress but not sure if you’ll feel at home there? Maybe you have specific needs or you’re simply looking for insider tips, inspiration, and good conversations in a small group that matches your interests?

Then we’d love to welcome you and help you get started!

As a mentee, you’ll be matched with a small group of people who share your interests. Your mentor will be there for you even before Congress begins to answer questions, welcome you on the first day, and explore the CCH and 39C3 together with you.

Throughout the entire 39C3, we’ll also have a cozy central space where you can relax, meet others, and connect with fellow Chaos Mentors and mentees.

How does it work?

What brings you to Congress?
What are your interests?
Is there anything we should keep in mind?

The earlier you register, the easier it is for us to form suitable groups. Your mentor will reach out to you ahead of the event so you can get to know each other a bit before Congress begins.

Why we’re doing this

Many of us have been part of Congress for years, some for two, others for twenty or more. We all remember how overwhelming that first visit can be: so many talks, assemblies, people, ideas … pure chaos!

Congress thrives on diversity, curiosity, and mutual learning. That’s why we especially want to encourage people who may have felt that they didn’t quite belong – yet.

Of course, everyone who wants to help make Congress more open, welcoming, and diverse is invited to join!

Mentors wanted

You already know your way around Congress and want to help newcomers find their way? Share your knowledge, your curiosity, and your inspiration and become a Chaos Mentor! Register on the Chaos Mentors platform and support your mentees as they explore Congress: answer questions, share tips, and help make everyone feel welcome.

When you sign up, tell us a little about yourself and your interests so we can match you with a group that fits.

Thank you for helping make Congress more open and connected! 💚

A few last tips and notes

Register by 25 November 2025, 23:59 UTC+1: Use our Chaos Mentors platform and share a few details about yourself so we can create a good match.
Missed the registration? On day 1 and day 2 we can still assign a few mentees to groups on site. Just come to our assembly and talk to the Chaos Mentors. You’ll recognize us by our colorful propeller hats.
You need a ticket: Unfortunately, we can’t provide tickets. Participation is only possible with your own 39C3 ticket. Even if you don’t have one yet, feel free to register. We’ll check in with you before matching to confirm that you’ve got a ticket.
Do mentors earn angel hours? The Chaos Mentors aren’t part of the Engelsystem, so there are no angel hours for this, but we encourage you to volunteer together with your mentees!
How do I find the Chaos Mentors at 39C3? Shortly before Congress, we will appear in C3Nav – it will guide you straight to our assembly.

Any questions or just curious?

Find us on Mastodon at @chaospatinnen@chaos.social or drop us a short email at:

39c3-chaosmentors [at] cccv [dot] de

Excited and ready for 39C3, your Chaos Mentors 💚💛💜❤️

Chaosmentors at the 38C3

Wed, 13 Nov 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Chaosmentors will be at the 38C3! Interested Mentors and Mentees please registers on our chaosmentors platform before the 10th of December at 23:59 o’clock.

It’s that time again - the Chaos Communication Congress is just around the corner! We are back in Hamburg this year and, as always, we expect many new people to consider attending the Congress for the first time. Are you among them? Maybe you could use a little support to get off to a good start.

Who are the Chaosmentors for?

Are you a hacker or a member of another underrepresented group and are unsure whether you will feel comfortable at Congress? Do you have specific needs that make it difficult for you to participate? Are you interested in topics such as data protection, security, hardware hacking or net politics, but have little or no connection to the community? Are you attending the congress but have the impression that you are not one of these “hackers” and feel like you don’t really fit in?

Then the Chaosmentors would like to welcome you to the Congress and make it easier for you to get started!

You’ve come to the right place and we want to help you have an exciting and enjoyable stay. As a “Chaos Mentee”, you will be assigned a mentor and a group of similar-minded mentees. The mentors are there to answer your questions in advance, welcome you on your first day and explore the site with you. Together we will find out where there are interesting workshops and talks for you and will be there for you as a point of contact. We will also be there to answer your questions, concerns, needs and wishes in the run-up to the event. We also have a meeting point during the congress where you can make yourself comfortable and get to know other Chaos Mentees.

How does this work?

Register before the 10th of December by signing up on our chaosmentors platform with a few details about yourself. Please register as early as possible, as we will start creating the groups before the 10th of December. Tell us a bit about yourself - for example, what brings you to the Congress, why you are contacting the Chaosmentors, what you are interested in and whether you have any specific needs. This way, we can find a suitable mentor for you and put together a group with similar interested mentes. Your Chaosmentor will contact you and your group before the Congress so that you can get to know each other. At the congress itself, you will be able to explore together.

Why are we doing this?

We ourselves have always had a great time at the Congress for 1, 2, 10 or 30 years. However, we know from our own experience how difficult the first step can be. Thoughts like “A big hacker congress, do I even fit in there?” are not unfamiliar to us - many Chaosmentors were once Chaos Mentees themselves. But don’t worry - once you’ve taken the first step, excellent people are waiting for you - and the opportunity to learn an incredible amount. But exchange is not a one-way street: the community at the Congress can also learn a lot from you and thrives on the diversity of the participants. That’s why we want to use the Chaosmentors to encourage people who wouldn’t have dared to come on their own. We are therefore particularly targeting people who do not belong to the strongly represented cis, male, white group. Of course, we do not exclude anyone.

Call for mentors!

Of course, we are looking for active support from friendly, experienced and reliable mentors again this year. If you would like to take a group of newcomers under your wings and look after them, please register with us. Tell us something about yourself and your interests so that we can find suitable mentes for you. Thank you very much for your support.

Please note

In order to help this year’s Chaosmentors succeed, please follow the following requests:

Registration by December 10th: Register by the 10th of December, we will not be able to consider registrations received after this date.
No guided tours: Please refrain from spontaneously referring people to us. We do not offer guided tours (persistent fake news!) and the programme is for those who have registered in advance. If you meet people who are looking for orientation and connection, first think about how you can support them yourself. Any hacker can also spontaneously become a chaosmentor!
For people on their own: Please don’t send people who are already connected to the congress environment and don’t belong to a minority group to the Chaosmentors just because they are attending the congress for the first time. Become a Chaosmentor yourself and rediscover the congress together!
No tickets: We cannot provide tickets. Please only become a Chaosmentor or mentee if you also have a Congress ticket
Arrival: Please let us know when you plan to arrive to the Congress so that your Chaosmentor can already be present at this time.
Registration: You can register on our chaosmentors platform

Looking forward to an amazing event!

the Chaosmentors

Chaosmentors at the 37C3

Fri, 01 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Chaosmentors will be at the 37C3! Interested Mentors and Mentees please registers HERE before the 8th of December at 23:59 o’clock.

It’s that time again - the Chaos Communication Congress is just around the corner! After a three-year break, we are back in Hamburg and, as always, we expect many new people to consider attending the Congress for the first time. Are you among them? Maybe you could use a little support to get off to a good start.

Who are the Chaosmentors for?

Then the Chaosmentors would like to welcome you to the Congress and make it easier for you to get started!

How does this work?

Register before the 8th of December by signing up HERE with a few details about yourself. Please register as early as possible, as we will start creating the groups before the 8th of December. Tell us a bit about yourself - for example, what brings you to the Congress, why you are contacting the Chaosmentors, what you are interested in and whether you have any specific needs. This way, we can find a suitable mentor for you and put together a group with similar interested mentes. Your Chaosmentor will contact you and your group before the Congress so that you can get to know each other. At the congress itself, you will be able to explore together.

Why are we doing this?

For mentors

Please note

In order to help this year’s Chaosmentors succeed, please follow the following requests:

Registration by December 8th: Register by the 8th of December, we will not be able to consider registrations received after this date.
No guided tours: Please refrain from spontaneously referring people to us. We do not offer guided tours (persistent fake news!) and the programme is for those who have registered in advance. If you meet people who are looking for orientation and connection, first think about how you can support them yourself. Any hacker can also spontaneously become a chaosmentor!
For people on their own: Please don’t send people who are already connected to the congress environment and don’t belong to a minority group to the Chaosmentors just because they are attending the congress for the first time. Become a Chaosmentor yourself and rediscover the congress together!
No tickets: We cannot provide tickets. Please only become a Chaosmentor or mentee if you also have a Congress ticket
Arrival: Please let us know when you plan to arrive to the Congress so that your Chaosmentor can already be present at this time.
Registration: You can register here

Looking forward to an amazing event!

the Chaosmentors

Chaospat:innen at rC3 2021 NOWHERE

Wed, 22 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

A new year, ~~a new congress~~ a new remote Chaos Experience. Even if we are still not back to the days-of-old, at least we can meet in the digital world. And some - including you? - are venturing into this digital world for the first time. If you want support in your first steps in this colourful world, you’ve come to the right place!

Who are the Chaosmentors for?

Are you a hacker or a member of another under-represented group and unsure if you will feel comfortable or connect at a digitally distributed event? Do you have specific needs that make it difficult for you to participate? Are you interested in topics such as data protection, security, hardware hacking or net politics, but have little or no connection to the community? Maybe you are curious about the remote Chaos Experience, but you feel that you are not one of these “hackers” and that you don’t really fit in?

Then the Chaosmentors would like to welcome you to the remote Chaos Experience and make it easier for you to get started:

How does it work?

At local events, we divide the chaosMentees into groups, with one chaosMentor per group. For this new and still experimental event, that won’t work. But as a first step into full digitality, we will be there for you, your questions, worries, needs and whatever else comes to your mind via various channels before and during the event.

Prior the event you can reach us via email (chaosmentors@lists.ccc.de), Twitter (@chaosmentors) or Rocketchat (chat.rc3.world) in the channel #chaosmentors. During the event there will also be a “Virtual Assembly” in the rc3 World and in the BigBlueButton rooms, where you can meet other mentors and mentees. We will do everything we can to ensure that the assembly (assembly = that’s what we call the group-specific rooms at the congress events) is staffed throughout the event.

What do I have to do now?

Register with us as soon as possible by sending us an email. Tell us a little bit about yourself, for example, what brings you to the remote Chaos Experience, why you are contacting the Chaosmentors, what your interests are and whether you have specific needs. This way, we can find a suitable mentor for you and put together a group with similar interests. Your chaosMentor will then contact you and your group before the remote Chaos Experience so that you can get to know each other. At the remote Chaos Experience itself, you will belong to a reference group and can explore the remote Chaos Experience together virtually.

Why do we do this?

We ourselves have always had a great time at the Congress for 1, 2, 10 or 30 years. Now, for the second time, we are making the Congress we know purely digital - it’s still a bit new for us. But we know from our own experience how difficult the first step can be. Thoughts like “A big hacker conference, do I even fit in?” are not alien to us - many chaosMentors were once mentees themselves. But don’t worry - once you’ve taken the first step, great people are waiting for you - and the opportunity to learn an incredible amount. But exchange is not a one-way street: the community at the remote Chaos Experience can also learn a lot from you and lives from the diversity of the participants. That’s why we also want to encourage those who would not have dared to participate on their own. So we are especially addressing members of under-represented groups but, of course, we won’t exclude anyone.

Mentors Wanted

Of course we are looking for active support from nice, experienced and reliable mentors again this year.

As a chaosMentor you can help this time by answering questions in the Rocket Chat and BigBlueButton room, helping to find answers to questions, or contributing creative ideas to welcome mentees to a digital event. Of course, it’s especially great if you already know your way around digital events like the DiVoC :)

If you feel like taking on a group of newcomers and mentoring them, then please register with us as well. Tell us something about yourself and what you know well, so that we can find suitable mentees for you to support. Thank you for your support.

Your safety

Even with the move into the digital space, it is important to us that we offer you a safe place to go. If you need help beyond what we offer, or if you don’t feel safe at any point during the event, whether with the ChaosMentors or in general, there are also various points of contact on https://help.ccc.de that will be happy to assist you.

Please note

The Chaospat:innen are a nice but also very exhausting thing. Therefore the following requests:

Register as soon as possible - this year we are practically not ready with our infrastructure until the start of the event and we will create the groups “on demand”.
No guided tours: Please refrain from spontaneously referring people to us. We do not offer guided tours (persistent Fake News!) and the programme is for those who have registered in advance. If you meet people who are looking for orientation and connection, first consider how you can support them yourself. Every hacker can also spontaneously become a chaos mentor!
For loners: Please do not refer people who already have a connection to the Congress environment and do not belong to a minority to the ChaosMentors just because they are visiting the Congress for the first time. Become a chaos mentor yourself and discover the congress together!
No tickets: You can only become a mentee if you have a Congress ticket - unfortunately we cannot offer you tickets!
Arrival: Please indicate when you want to be at the remote Chaos Experience so that your mentor can also be present at that time.

Full of anticipation the Chaospat:in

Twitter: @chaosmentors
Mastodon: @chaospatinnen@chaos.social

New: Chaosmentors are going Digitally Distributed!

Fri, 04 Sep 2020 06:49:05 +0000

As an experimental run, we will see what we can set up for Push To Talk. We are inviting you to join us as BETAmentors or BETAmentees, coming up with new creative ways of mentoring together. Additionally, we welcome input from everyone, if you have suggestions how we can make new visitors more welcome at a digital event :)

Who are the Chaosmentors?

Are you a member of an underrepresented group in the hacker community and unsure if you will feel comfortable at DiVOC? Do you have specific needs that make it more difficult for you to participate? Are you interested in topics such as privacy, security, hardware hacking, or network policies, but have so far had little-to-no connection to the community? Perhaps, you’re curious to try out a DiVOC, but you have the impression that you are not one of these “hackers”, feel you don’t quite fit in, or are not sure how to get involved beyond the video streams?

Then we will try our best to make you feel welcome at DiVOC (as mentioned, we are in experimental mode…).

How does it work?

At localized events we assigned chaosmentors to small groups of mentees, however for this short notice, experimental event we cannot implement this. As a start, we will be there for you before and during the event, for your questions, concerns, needs, or wishes.

You can get in touch with us before the event via email. During the event, we will also offer a “Virtual Assembly” to hang out and get to know some other mentees and mentors in the form of a BigBlueButton meeting room that is open for you (we will make every effort to make this room available with an experienced ChaosMentor around the clock…).

You can find the most up-to-date information about what we are offering in the wiki. We will also tell you about our newest features in the Rocket Chat and the BigBlueButton room!

Why are we doing this?

We ourselves have had a great time at CCC events for 1, 2, 10, or 30 years. But we know from our own experience how difficult the first step can be – many Chaosmentors were Chaosmentees at their first event. Thoughts like “A big hacker conference, do I even belong here?” are not foreign to us. But do not worry – once the first step is done, great people and the opportunity to learn a lot about yourself await. But the exchange is not a one-way street: the community can learn a lot from you as well and thrives from the diversity of the participants. That’s why we want to encourage those who would otherwise hesitate to get in touch with the Chaospatinnen. We focus on people who are not part of the mainly represented group cis, male, and white. Of course, we will not exclude anyone.

For Chaosmentors

Of course, we are again looking for the enthusiastic support from friendly, experienced, and reliable mentors, and for this event especially for mentors who are creative for finding new ways of welcoming mentees to a fully digital event. It would be great if you already have DiVOC experience, but that is not a requirement. If you feel like answering questions, helping find answers to questions, and helping out in the Rocket Chat or the BigBlueButton video chat, please join us there.

Your Safety

Even as we switch to the digital realm, we are committed to always providing a safe haven. So from the get-go, if you need any help beyond what we offer, or feel unsafe at any point during the event or with the chaosmentors, we want to make you aware that there is also help.ccc.de; please do not hesitate to use the safety nets offered there!

Feedback and Suggestions

Since we are running in Beta, we are explicitly asking this time for your input. We are sure that many of you will have great suggestions. We think the best way to collect these ideas is a pad, where you can see if someone already suggested something similar, and maybe add your own notes to existing ideas.

Chaos Mentors: We make congress work for you!

Wed, 16 Nov 2016 13:08:32 +0000

It is that time of the year again – 33C3 is approaching and the Chaosmentors are getting ready to support new visitors during their first Congress experience.

For those who visit the Congress for the first time:

You always wanted to visit Chaos Communication Congress but worry about getting the best out of the experience? You are interested in computers, technology, hacking, privacy, free speech and perhaps just need pointing in the right direction?

We are the „Chaospatinnen“ (chaos mentors) and we welcome you to the Chaos Communication Congress. We encourage you to participate in 33C3 this year and we will do our upmost to help you to have an exciting, enjoyable and most of all memorable congress. As a „Chaospatenkind“ (chaos mentee) you’ll have a mentor and a group that suits you. Mentors are available in advance of the congress for your questions, welcome you on the first day and explore congress with you. Together, we will find talks and workshops that interest you as well as answer any questions or concerns ahead of congress.

How does it work?

Signup by the 10th December by emailing us with a little about yourself to our email-address chaospatinnen at lists dot ccc dot de. Please write to us as early as possible and tell us what you are interested in and why you want to come to the Congress for the first time. With this information, we can find you a suitable mentor, who will then contact you before congress.

Why do we do this?

We have always had a great time at the Congress for 1, 2, 10 or 30 years. But we know from our own experience how difficult the first step can be. However, once the first step is taken, great people, knowledge and unforgettable experiences await you. But it’s not only you who will learn something new, it’s also important for the existing community to open doors to new people and perspectives year after year. Many of the Chaospatinnen took this first step just like you are about to – So what are you waiting for? Get in touch!

For Mentors:

Of course, we are also looking forward to the support of friendly, experienced and reliable mentors. If you are interested in welcoming a group of new comers and taking care of them, please contact us by e-mail at chaospatinnen at listspunkt ccc punkt de.
Just tell us what you are looking for and we will be in touch.
Thanks in advance!

Arne, Anja, Ryan, starbug, Fiona, Johannes, Jan, Nixen

Twitter: @chaospatinnen
Chaos Mentors Assembly